Butchering - to pluck or to skin?

[greyfields]

Quote:
Pho

 

[plucky]

Wow this is really helpful! Cool to see how everyone processes differently. Seems to be all personal preference through trying different methods. I do think I will pluck some and see how that goes...I'll have hubby's help, too. I'm not sure I want to tackle the process by myself! My main goal is to sucessfully do all ten WITHOUT having to call Mom...she just knows I'm going to get stuck.

Back in the fall hubby and I skinned and quartered a deer in about a half hour (that's pretty good for us), so SURELY we can handle chickens! Of course...you don't pluck a deer...

 

[greyfields]

You could pluck/skald them if you wanted to do venison prosciutto. And if you had the right permits, you could sell that for about $30 per pound. :0

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
Chicken Pho? Never seen that.. Only the beef kind.. MMMMM pho... making me hooongry.. LOL. Pass the shriracha (sp) sauce

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Plucking was easiest for us when we got a good scald, about 140-145 degrees for 30-60 seconds. Agitate the birds up & down to get the hot water between the feathers to the skin. I used a big stock pot heated to boiling on the stove, wasn't much of a bother to carry out to the work table. It could be kept warm over a fire or camp stove. I'm trying to locate a cheap/free turkey fryer to use next time.

I found a discarded metal porch swing frame we used for hanging the birds by their zip-tied feet so we'd have both hands free for plucking. Bent wire coat hangers made sturdy hooks for hanging. If we got a good enough scald the feathers came off as easily as removing the lint from a dryer trap. If parts got tough to pull the bird could be re-dipped to loosen the feathers on those parts.

I wish you ease & success, whatever you choose!

 

[silkiechicken]

Pho is soo good. *drool*

Chicken pho is usually at the top under specialty along with the tofu pho, since beef is the normal meat put in... I like the pho with tripe and all the goodies added. What I wonder is how you can have vegi pho since the stock is often beef based...

 

[FarmGirl01]

I did a red broiler today. I did a scald for the first time. I could't believe how great the feathers came out. Just like everyone said.
I had the bird killed, dunked and plucked in 3 minutes. Tomorrow we are having fried chicken.

Can't wait to do another one. Thanks everyone, for the encouragment.

 

[chicks for better health]

Quote:
Do you gut the bird or skin and cut the meat off?

 

[dacjohns]

Another skinning question.

What about the wings? I skinned some birds and plucked some birds when we butchered. Skinning the wings was next to impossible.